Sierra Club v. Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai'i, Inc.

Opinion of the Court by

POLLACK, J.

This case requires us to consider whether the Hawai'i State Senate’s express rejection of a board member’s nomination for a second term effectively disqualifies the member from continuing to serve on the board and from voting on matters of critical importance to the community.

On April 26, 2010, the Senate rejected Duane Kanuha’s (Kanuha) nomination for a second term as a commissioner on the Re*186spondent/Appellee-Appellant state Land Use Commission (LUC), based in part on the finding that Kanuha lacked the requisite knowledge and experience to qualify as the…